ASUS P3V4x’s False Temperature Readings

I‘ve read through the net (went to many forums) that a lot of people are having problems with the ASUS P3V4x on-die thermal diode. Whatever program they install (Motherboard monitor 4.17, ASUS Probe) they get unbelievable and funny temperature readings.

I was having the same problem; my CPU (650E @877 MHz FC-PGA SL3XV cB0) was reaching unbelievable temperatures up to 75 Celsius (CPU full load, system temperature 30 degrees Celsius).

Although a modified GlobalWin FDP32 (I’ve attached a small copper plate on it) was protecting my CPU from melting (and me from a nervous break down… : )) I just couldn’t escape the thought that something was wrong. So changed my converter card (Gigabyte 6R7+) with another one from ASUS (Smart slot-1 S370-133) but things went worse. My CPU was reaching higher temperatures, up to 76-78 degrees Celsius!!!

I was very frustrated (I was having nine fans installed in my PC, a huge heatsink and I couldn’t believe that all the hard work I put to build that thing wasn’t worth it!!) Then I decided to install my Iwill II converter card and I couldn’t believe my eyes! I was getting reasonable readings at last!!!

My CPU was reaching temps up to 50 degrees Celsius when I was running my own stability testing method (SETI, PRIME95, listening to MP3s and playing NFS 5 all at the same time. Real torture huh?). I was surprised but I figured that some of the adapters we are using are the real problem and not the ASUS P3V4x.

Some of them don’t use thermal pins (that, I read from the ASUS site while I was downloading the new Bios 1004 (That was a crazy Bios…at least for me)) and that’s why we are getting false readings. At the ASUS site I read that the 1004 was supposed to correct this issue but I haven’t notice that for as long as I was using that Bios (1004.002 works fine).

The Iwill II saved me from a stroke attack – I was really mad with the situation. My ego just couldn’t set the temperature reading to “Ignore” through the Bios.

Everything is fine now although I still get some small and crazy temperature jumps from 40 to 45 to 41, 46, 44, 43, 46 (MB temperature polling interval=1 sec!!!!).